SARS-COV-2 Re-Infection And Vaccine Development
Future Medicine India|May 2021
The molecular mechanisms behind the human immune response to SARS-CoV-2 need to be examined thoroughly to design effective vaccines
Dr Rajani Kanth Vangala
SARS-COV-2 Re-Infection And Vaccine Development

SARS-CoV-2 is a member of the genus Betacoronavirus, which comes with an envelope and positive-sense single-strand RNA. With no specific treatments for COVID-19, vaccines are seen as the only mode of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Early experiments with animal models in rhesus macaques that recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection showed no reinfection after a second exposure to the virus as per an RT-PCR test. Based on such data, several vaccine candidates are getting into the market. However, evidence from several studies points out that patients who recovered from infection can be reinfected. These findings are critical to the design of vaccines against evolving viruses.

Currently, the detection of SARS-CoV-2 among patients relies on the use of molecular diagnostic approaches such as RT-PCR, which offer a high level of precision. However, despite its decisive role in diagnostics, the method has several limitations which are possibly leading to misdiagnosis. Therefore, other methods — such as peptide-based antigen detection kits — come into the focus. These tests — with a sensitivity of TCID 192 and 100% specificity — can make a large difference. The technology is also shown to detect all the new variants of the virus and will also detect any new variant which may evolve. Such technologies, along with clinical characteristics and chest computed tomography, should be performed before patients are discharged from hospitals.

SINCE THERE ARE MORE VARIANTS, THERE IS A NEED FOR TECHNOLOGY WHICH CAN DETECT ANY VARIANT AND IS NOT SPECIFIC TO VARIANTS

Concerns on re-infection

This story is from the May 2021 edition of Future Medicine India.

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This story is from the May 2021 edition of Future Medicine India.

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